It certainly wasn't a case of cold feet when Basildon MP Angela Smith got the chance to wine and dine with TV stars and A-list celebrities at a swanky London restaurant.

The Labour MP and her husband, Basildon Labour group leader Nigel Smith, mingled with Cold Feet star Jimmy Nesbit and Hollywood star Liam Neeson.

The plush do held at seafood specialists Bentleys restaurant, near Piccadilly Circus, was for the Lyric Theatre in Belfast where both actors began their careers.

Mrs Smith said: "Support for local theatres was very prominent on the night.

"Both Jimmy and Liam started at the Lyric and local theatres are the starting point for many famous actors on TV, film and the stage.

"The event was for a small group of supporters and friends of the Lyric and I was invited because of my work for the theatre when I was junior minister in Northern Ireland."